Office of Governor Tony Evers *FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:* December 9, 2025 Contact: [email protected]    *Gov. Evers, WisDOT Unveil New Blackout and Retro License Plate Designs for Wisconsin Drivers* "Bipartisan state budget signed by Gov. Evers provided funding to release the much-anticipated plates, which are estimated to generate more than $25 million for the state’s transportation fund in the first three years" MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), today unveiled the designs of Wisconsin’s newest state license plates, a Blackout design and a Retro butter yellow design, depicted below. The bipartisan 2025-27 Biennial Budget signed by Gov. Evers included $5.5 million in funding to support the introduction of these two new specialty license plates, which are estimated to generate more than $25 million for the state’s transportation fund in the first three years. The additional revenue for the state transportation fund will help build upon the Evers Administration’s efforts to invest in Wisconsin’s infrastructure to ensure it meets the needs of a 21st-century workforce and economy. Since 2019, the Evers Administration has improved more than 9,600 miles of roads and 2,400 bridges statewide. The two new license plates, which WisDOT fast-tracked development of the plates in order to ensure they would be ready for public distribution, will be available beginning in early January 2026. 

“These new specialty plates are a win-win for Wisconsin. They not only meet long-standing demand for new plate designs Wisconsinites can choose from, but will also provide new, ongoing resources so we can continue working to fix the darn roads across our state,” said Gov. Evers. “Bringing back the butter yellow Retro plate offers folks a sense of nostalgia while celebrating Wisconsin’s heritage as America’s Dairyland, and the new Blackout plate provides a contemporary look that folks have been asking for. Both plates embody a special sense of Wisconsin style, and I look forward to seeing them out on our roads.”

The new Blackout plate features an all-black background with white letters, numbers, and outline. WisDOT estimates over half a million Blackout plates could be on the road within three years. An image of the Blackout design is available here [ [link removed] ]. An image of the Retro butter yellow design is available here [ [link removed] ]. An image of the Retro butter yellow and Blackout design side by side is available here [ [link removed] ] and below. 

Image of Retro and Blackout Plates [ [link removed] ]
“As the former Wisconsin DMV administrator and now transportation secretary, I’m excited to see these new plates become a reality,” said WisDOT Secretary Kristina Boardman. “The design of the Blackout plate is simple, clean, and complements many vehicle colors. This style has been very popular in our neighboring states, and anticipation for these plates has been building here in Wisconsin for quite some time.”

The Retro yellow or “butter” license plate harkens back to the 1970s, featuring the familiar black letters on a sharp, yellow background.  

“Some call it the butter plate, others call it the Retro plate but if you had one in the 1970s, it was just the Wisconsin license plate,” continued Secretary Boardman. “We put in some effort to get just the right shade of yellow. It’s nostalgic, it’s familiar to many, and I am planning to order one myself.” 

According to WisDOT, both license plates will feature the state name on top like all current Wisconsin plates, and the slogan “America’s Dairyland” will display beneath the numbers and letters on the Retro plate. Standard-issued plates will have a sequence of numbers and letters that are also unique. The Blackout plates will begin with ZAA 1001, and the Retro plates will begin with YAA 1001. The simplified design allows for up to seven characters for those wanting to personalize their plates.

*FEES AND ORDERING PROCESS *
Both plates come with a one-time $15 issuance fee, plus a $25 annual registration fee. The income generated from the registration of these plates will help finance infrastructure improvement projects all across the state.   

These plates will be available online, in most DMVs, at participating dealers, and third parties who already stock Wisconsin plates. The plates join dozens of others available to order online through DMV’s new web app wisconsindmv.gov/specialplates [ [link removed] ].  

The app streamlines the ordering process, helps customers select a plate from more than 60 options organized by interest areas, and makes delivery faster. Customers whose order requires no special eligibility, which includes the Blackout and Retro plate, and does not include a personalized message, could receive their plates within a week instead of several weeks via the traditional mail-in process. Approximately 25 percent of plates ordered through the new app are mailed out the next day.

The guided online process allows the customer the option to personalize their plate with a custom message. The plate is then previewed to show the personalized message on the plate as they type it. The message is concurrently verified with the database to check for duplicates or known inappropriate words or phrases.  

This convenient process continues by allowing the customer to renew their vehicle registration at the same time. Finally, instead of needing to mail a check or money order, customers can pay online using modern, secure payment methods. 

DMV Customer Service Centers (wisconsindmv.gov/centers [ [link removed] ]) that provide license plates/registration will also have stock on hand beginning in early January.

*ADDITIONAL EFFORTS BY THE EVERS ADMINISTRATION TO INVEST IN AND SUPPORT WISCONSIN’S TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE  *
After years of neglect under the previous administration, Gov. Evers has made fixing Wisconsin’s roads and bridges and making sure the state’s infrastructure can meet the needs of a 21st-century workforce and a 21st-century economy a top priority. Since 2019, under his administration, the state has improved more than 9,600 miles of roads and 2,400 bridges statewide.  

In each of his biennial budgets, Gov. Evers has secured historic investments in Wisconsin’s transportation infrastructure, and improving Wisconsin’s roads and bridges continued to be a priority for the governor in the 2025-27 Biennial Budget. 

The final 2025-27 Biennial Budget signed by Gov. Evers includes: 
* Increasing General Transportation Aids (GTA) by three percent in both 2026 and 2027, which will provide municipalities with $33.2 million more over the biennium and counties with nearly $10 million over the biennium;  
* A historic increase of nearly $333 million over the biennium in the state highway rehabilitation program;   
* $100 million for the Local Roads Improvement Program;   
* Continuing support for the Agricultural Roads Improvement Program, created by Gov. Evers in the 2023-25 biennium, with a $150 million investment to continue repairing and improving Wisconsin’s rural roads to help farmers and producers and the state’s agricultural and forestry industries move products to market safely and efficiently, including $30 million specifically targeted to bridge and culvert repair;   
* $244.5 million to keep key projects, such as I-41 and I-39/90, on schedule;  
* A 10 percent increase to paratransit aids, increasing funding by $687,600 over the biennium;      
* Improving safety on Milwaukee County expressways with $38 million in expressway policing aids; and   
* $50 million for the harbor assistance program, including $15 million for the Menominee Harbor Project and $20 million for the Port of Green Bay.    

The 2025-27 Biennial Budget also improves ongoing transportation fund revenues by generating nearly $200 million in additional revenue to improve the sustainability of the transportation fund. 

 In addition to robust investments in transportation infrastructure statewide, the final 2025-27 Biennial Budget invests in local communities to ensure that they are able to address the unique needs of their constituents and bolster local infrastructure, including $14 million through municipal service payments to ensure local communities have the resources they need to meet basic and unique needs alike.  

Gov. Evers also exercised his broad, constitutional veto authority to partially veto aspects of the budget that were outside of the bipartisan budget negotiations. More information about the bipartisan budget signed by Gov. Evers is available here [ [link removed] ]. 

  An online version of this release is available here [ [link removed] ]. ###

Gold Horizontal Line Office of the Governor • 115 East Capitol, Madison, WI 53702 Press Office Email: [email protected] https:evers [ [link removed] ] [link removed] [link removed] Unsubscribe [ [link removed] ]
________________________________________________________________________

This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of the State of Wisconsin · 115 East, State Capitol · Madison, WI 53702